Yellow brass pipe alloy



Patented May 24, 1938 PATENT OFFICE YELLOW BRASS PIPE ALLOY William 12..Webster, Bridgep rt, Com, assignmto Bridgeport Brass Company,

dl lm' Conm, a corporation of Connecticut No Drawing. Application June:5, 1m, sci-n1 No. 150,262

6 Claims. (Cl. dis-15s) This invention relates toimprovements in yellowbrass alloys, particularly those-tor use in the manufacture oi pipes ortubes.

It is known that the water supplies of many 5 localities in the countryproduce in yellow brass pipe an eflfect known as dezinciflcation. Inthis way the pipe becomes corroded and weakened and after a period oftime the pipe fails and leaks.

During such dezinciilcationthere is also a sub- 10 stantial loss intensile strength ofthe brass pipe. I have overcome the objectionablefeatures of ordinary yellow brass which have limited its use and haveproduced a new yellow brass pipe which does not dezincify when used inlocalities where 5 the water dezincifles ordinary yellow brass pipe. Ihave found that by adding a small amount of arsenic to yellow brasspipe, I produce a new brass pipe which resists dezinoiflcation andcorrosion that occur when ordinary yellow brass pipe is used. 7

According to my invention I add a very small amount of arsenic to yellowbrass and have found that only a fraction of a percent of arsenic isnecessary to prevent dezinciflcation of the yellow brass. Pipes made thenew yellow brass alloy have been used in regions where ordinary yellowbrass became dezinciiled and corroded in use and the new pipes have notbeen dezinciiled or attacked. The range 0! the proportions oi. thearsenic to be added to the yellow brass alloy is about 0.05 0! 1% toabout 0.35 of 1% in order to obtain the new results above described.

Yellow brass alloy as ordinarily used contains about 60% copper andabout 40% zinc together with small percentages of impurities and addedelements. The percentage of copper may go as high as 67% in ordinaryyellow brass. To such an ordinary yellow brass I add a small amount 01'arsenic so that the arsenic in the new yellow brass alloy is present inthe proportion of about 0.05% to 0.35%.

Alloys made according to my invention contain about 60 to 67% copper,about 0.05% to about 0.35% of arsenic and the remainder consistingessentially of zinc. My brass alloy may also contain a fraction of apercent of lead to in prove the threading qualities of the pipe or tubemade therefrom.

For example, a yellow brass water tube or pipe oi anew yellow brassalloy made according to my invention contains about 60% copper, about0.21% of arsenic and the rest zinc and is especially adapted to resistand prevent derinciii- 5 cation encountered in the use of ordinaryyellow brass pipe. Also, a water tube or pipe made from my new yellowbrass alloy does not show a loss in tensile strength after it has beenin use for some time as is the case with ordinary yellow brass pipe towhich no arsenic has been added.

While I have given certain proportions of ingredients in my new brassalloy, it is to be understood that these are given for purposes ofillustration only and may be varied within limits without digressingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is: 1. A yellowbrass alloy adapted to be used in makingbrass pipe which resists dezlnciiication and which contains about 60%copper, up to about'0.35% of arsenic and the remainder zinc.

2. A yellow brass alloy adapted ifor use in producing pipe whichcontains about 60% copper, about 0.05% to 0.35% arsenic and theremainder zinc.

3. A yellow brass alloy adapted for use in the manufacture oi watertubes or pipes, which re-; sists or prevents dezinciflcation andcorrosion and which contains about 60% 'to 67% copper, 0.05% to 0.35% ofarsenic, and the remainder consisting substantially entirely of zinc.

4. A yellow brass pipe or tube which resists de zincification in use andis made of an alloy con- 35 taining approximately 60% copper,approximately 0.21% arsenic, with the balance consisting substantiallyentirely oi zinc.

5. A brass pipe or tube adapted to resist dezinciflcation and corrosionin use, which contains about 60% to 67% of copper, up to about 0.35%of'ars'enic, and the remainder consisting substantially entirely ofzinc.

6. A brass pipe or tube adapted to resistdezinciflcation and corrosionin use, made of ordinary yeliow brass alloy with the addition of a smallpercentage of arsenic up to about 0.35%.

' WILLIAM R. WEBSTER.

